Hockey may be a team sport, but the goalie position is the most vital position in the NHL. As we’re a quarter through the season, here are some early Vezina Candidates.
The job of coaches and general managers are directly affected by the quality of their goalies. General manager Ron Hextall just got fired and his team’s save percentage was .887. Coach Todd McLellan shared the same fate and his save percentage was .899 while Mike Yeo from the St Louis Blues had to coach with a .897.
Goaltenders often get people fired, but today we’re going to talk about the ones who could lead to a Jack Adams. Here are the early Vezina Candidates of the 2018-19 season.
1. John Gibson
The Anaheim Ducks are struggling, but John Gibson has been pulling his weight. Every night, his team is outshot by a mile, and yet he still boasts a .926 save percentage. For someone who has faced 673 shots and counting (2nd in the NHL), his numbers are incredible. His 20 games played is ranked 2nd in the league for most games played which shows how much the Ducks rely on him. Without him, they would be dead last in the league and his strong performances under such intense pressure make him a strong Vezina Candidate.
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2. Frederik Andersen
The Toronto Maple Leafs do not have the most formidable defense in the league, which means that they rely on their goaltender to bail them out when the puck goes into their defensive zone.
So far, Frederik Andersen has stood up to the challenge. He’s 3rd in the NHL with a .931 save percentage and is 3rd in the league in shots faced (607). The Leafs’ penalty kill is very effective with an 81.4% success rate and that’s also due to Andersen’s dominance. As the saying goes, “your best penalty killer is your goalie”.
3. Devan Dubnyk
The Minnesota Wild are second in the Western Conference, all thanks to the rebound season of Devan Dubnyk. 531 shots faced (10th in the NHL) and a .921 save percentage is a recipe for success. Minnesota’s penalty kill is 3rd in the NHL with an 85% success rate and their team’s save percentage is 10% over the league average. Dubnyk is the source of the Wild’s dominance and that is why he’s an early Vezina Candidate.
The Vezina is rewarded to goaltenders who “adjudged to be the best at this position”, and these three players have proven that they are (so far). Big names like Pekka Rinne and Andrei Vasilevskiy are not here because of the dominant team that they have in front of them. They both play with lights out defense which gives them an extra edge. These three players are a much more significant reason for their team’s success and that is why they are on this list.